Alcoy’s screenwriters Miquel and Neus Peidro—a father and daughter duo—have crafted a project intended to translate a historic 1957 event at Alcoy’s Hotel Comercio into film. The story centers on a businessman who killed his wife with three shots, Maria Teresa Calvo, and another woman, Eugenio Molla, after discovering their adultery. The punishment meted out for the two offenders was strikingly light: six years in prison followed by exile about 250 kilometers from Alcoy.
“The conviction felt ridiculous given the facts. At the time the Penal Code was strict, and the woman faced judgment for defending her dignity and honor,” explains Miquel Pedro, the senior scenario coordinator who has contributed to series such as Acacia 38 and Aquel tiempo of turmoil. He co-wrote this project with his daughter Neus. The duo carved a niche in history by believing that this woman’s figure and the memory of the young man who died deserve serious attention, especially since the case prompted shifts in the law. The episode is cited as a turning point that inspired changes in the Penal Code and how society views machismo.
The pivotal detail involves Article 428 of the 1944 Penal Code, reinstated by Franco after the suppression of the Second Republic. It stated that if a husband discovers his wife in adultery or if one partner injures the other, severe penalties including exile could follow. This legal backdrop frames a broader discussion about gender norms and the consequences of social codes in that era.
Peidro notes that the project documents institutional male supremacy and the vulnerability faced by women, underscoring the limited social room for female agency at the time.
The perpetrator devised a plan to catch the lovers in the act, anticipating that a public confrontation would yield a lighter sentence. Yet the machinery of the law and the social mood produced a harsher outcome than many believed fair at the time.
This narrative emerged from a period when personal tragedy was often linked with broad social and legal consequences. While the law aimed to protect family honor, debates around the case helped awaken public consciousness and contributed to the eventual abolition of the article in 1963. The writers view this story as a catalyst, illustrating how a single event can clash with custom and accelerate social progress.
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help script
The project has received development support of 20,000 euros from the Valencian Institute of Culture to explore the creation of an audiovisual work. The writers have an initial draft and continue refining ideas for multiple versions with the goal of presenting a feature next year in Alcoy, produced by Sin Rodeo Films and inviting broader producer collaboration.
The forthcoming feature is directed by Claudia Pinto, known for recent works such as Results and Longest Distance. She also contributes as a co-author. The approach emphasizes collaboration with legal professionals to address the legal and historical significance of the event and its impact on advancing women’s rights, with all participants contributing their time and expertise to honor the story.
documents
Among the principal sources is the examination of file 37/1957 from the Alicante state archives, with many materials kept in the Provincial History Archive. The case drew attention to the point that parts of the file were erased over time, leaving a meaningful record of the Hotel Comercio incident and similar historical events such as the José Antonio Primo de Rivera case. A large photographic archive accompanies the project, gathered to depict the era, place, and people. If the pool could talk… is a volume by Ricardo Canalejas Romá, with illustrations by the heroes of the story, offering a visual companion to the narrative that helps anchor the historical context for the audience.